Raymond Shaddick Johnson

The USS Gherardi (DD-637) was commissioned on 15 September 1942 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. After trial runs and shakedown training out of Casco Bay, ME the ship traveled to the Naval Operating Base, Newport RI, where it was moored to the pier at the Torpedo Station Annex, Coddington Cove on the night of 1-2 December 1942. Shortly after midnight, on 2 December 1942, two motor whaleboats assigned to the ship departed Government Landing in Newport to return sailors on liberty to the ship. The four-mile trip should have taken thirty minutes. The second boat made it safely back to the ship, while the first swamped and capsized enroute. Of the seventeen men aboard the capsized whaleboat, only two survived the icy waters of Narragansett Bay.

Eight months after the inicident the Navy buried an unknown sailor, in an unmarked grave at the Island Cemetery, Newport, Rhode Island.

For seven long years this case has sat inactive. Seemed unlikely that it would ever come to fruition. But all that began to change in early July 2005. Sally and Mack Van Osdell of Inverness, Florida had been doing research on an uncle that was lost during World War II. Mack’s uncle was Cecil Joyner.

They contacted Eugene Philips, President of the USS Gheradi Association, and asked for his assistance in the matter. Didn’t take him long to find me. Now that we had one of the NOK’s it became paramount to find the others.

I was able to locate the sister of Jack Shaul very quickly. Her name is Jane Ryan ofBroomfield,Colorado.

Once all next-of-kin had been located, DNA kits (FSA) were furnished by the Navy Casualty Office inMilington,Tennessee. The test samples were returned by years end.

During November 2005, I was discussing the case with Mr. Kenneth Terry of the Navy Casualty Office. I was informed that a point paper had to be written before the case could be turned over to the Navy Mortuary Office in Great Lakes,Illinois. If he couldn’t get the official reports from me it was going to take a lot longer to get them fromWashington. We worked out an exchange that he would provide me with a copy of a report written by the Navy History Office on TBM wrecks inNew Guineafor the appropriate JAG Investigations surrounding the USS Gheradi incident. I promptly mailed them in an attempt to move the case along as quickly as possible. Never did receive the TBM report.

By January 2006, I was informed that the point paper had been written and the case forwarded to Navy Mortuary. It was to be handled by Mr. Tim Nicholson. I contacted him to insure he had all of the proper contact information to get in touch with me so I could be present for the disinterrment. Assured me that this would be done and stated that the disinterrment was scheduled for February 2006.

Towards the end of February after not receiving any information from his office I called and was told that the disinterrment had been rescheduled for the March/April time frame. Called again towards the end of April, left a message on his machine but received no reply. After several subsequent calls went unanswered, I instructed all parties concerned to contact their respective congressional representatives to see if they could get answers. Only Sally tried and they wouldn’t answer her either.

During late April 2006 the remains of the unknown were removed from his grave at theIslandCemeteryfor DNA testing.

On 12 July 2006, the Navy informed Jessie Johnson, that the remains were those of his brother. His body is now at Arlington National Cemetery